A Love So Strong
by akariprince
Summary: Carrie takes a walk through the woods hoping to sort some things out in her head. She never imagined that it would bring her upon Hiei. Even less did she expect to find a little love along the way. R
1. Chapter 1

Akari: Hello again people.

Hiei: You seem kind of depressed. I know I'll regret this, but why are you depressed?

Akari: No one likes my story.

Jusono: That's not true! I love your stories!

Akari: You're my friend. You're supposed to say that.

Jusono: But, I'm sure lots of other people like your stories too.

Hiei: (laughs quietly to self.)

Jusono: If you have something to say, say it somewhere else!

Hiei: Shut up onna.

Jusono: What did you just say!

Akari: (ignores fighting in background.) If you like this story, please review and tell me. I am very depressed right now and could use the moral support.

Akari: I don't own YYH or Sesshomaru. This is not an Inuyasha crossover. I just needed another character. Deal with it.

Hiei: I like this new you. Your whole aura is very dark. It suits you.

Akari: Hiei, what did you do to Jusono?

Hiei: Do you really want to know?

Akari: Not really…

**A LOVE SO STRONG**

Hiei. That name meant every thing to me. It was my life, my soul, but more importantly, my love. I would give my life for Hiei without a moment's hesitation. But I couldn't tell if Hiei loved me back. Was I his world, his soul? Would Hiei die for me? If he had any feelings toward me, he showed none. Well, you read my story and see if you can find anything, anything at all, that I have over looked. I am not writing this story, although it will be in my P.O.V. Someone else is writing this. Someone who saw it all. Who heard it all, even our thoughts. I do not know this person, or what they will write. I only hope that what they write will realize my greatest of dreams, or the worst of my nightmares…

It all started on that fateful day as I walked through the forest behind my house. I do not know why I was walking through that forest, for I hate it with all my heart. That was the place of my parents, the only family I had had left, death. But something was pulling at me, at my heart, to return there. I could not resist this something; it was too powerful. I do not believe in destiny, but if there is such a thing that day was it.

I was walking quickly through the forest, until I stopped suddenly at an old oak tree. There were many scars on its bark. Some of them were deep, long slashes, but others barely scratched the surface. I looked up into its golden branches and, to my great surprise; I saw some one sitting on one of the low, thick branches.

'How did he get up there?' I thought to myself.

I looked around, but I saw no sign of a ladder, and there were no climbable branches for at least 15ft. I looked back at the guy in the tree.

'He looks like he's asleep!' I thought, 'how can anyone sleep in a tree?' I decided to wake him up.

"Hey! You in the tree!" I shouted up at him.

I don't know if it woke him up, but it made him turn over on his side so that his back was now facing me. Boy, that really ticked me off. Don't you hate it when it seems like people are ignoring you? I know I sure do. Let me warn you now: I do stupid things when I'm mad. So, following this rule, I looked for something to throw at him. I found a rock about 4in. in diameter.

'This'll do nicely,' I thought.

For those of you who don't know, I have a great arm. I could probably go into professional baseball with the way I throw. I held my arm back, took aim, and fired. Wham, it hit him right on his head. That sure woke him up, unless his normal reaction to being hit in the head by something is to jump 5ft in the air. But, to my dismay, he missed the branch when he started to come down, and so, he fell the 20-foot or so drop to the ground. There was a loud cracking noise when he hit the ground. My stomach twisted when I heard that noise.

"Oh no," I moaned as I ran towards him, "Oh no, please, no. Please be all right."

I hoped that the sound I heard was a twig or something, but who was I kidding? I had broken my right arm twice, left arm three times, my right leg three times, and my left leg four. All together, that equaled a grand total of twelve broken bones, and twelve grand trips to the emergency room. Let's just say I was a very adventurous kid when my parents were alive. Thank God my dad was a doctor. But I guess what I am saying is that I know the sound of bones cracking when I hear it. I finally reached him after what seemed like hours of running. I stopped and knelt beside him. He was conscious, that surprised me, but he wasn't moving either. He was also not crying, which I thought was peculiar, because I had seen grown men cry when they broke their bone bones. This guy seemed to be just a few years older than me. And for your information, I am 16 years old.

"Are you okay?" I whispered as I started to take off my backpack.

"Hn," he replied.

He was looking at his right arm. There was a small pool of blood around it; the pool was slowly, but surely, growing larger.

'Maybe he's in shock,' I thought. 'That would explain why he isn't crying.' "Where does it hurt?" I asked him, my voice still a whisper.

He turned his eyes to look at me. They seemed to have that 'what do you think?' look in them.

"I mean, besides your arm."

"My head," he said in a mocking tone.

"Oh, sorry about that," I said as my cheeks turned bright red.

I looked back at him. He wasn't looking at me; he was looking at his arm.

"It's broken," I said.

"I kinda gathered that," he said irritably.

"Do you think that you have any other broken bones?" I asked. He must have heard the seriousness of my voice because he seemed to get serious as well.

"I think I might have broken my leg, or something around my leg." He said. He tried to move it and in the process he winced. I was now looking through my bag.

"Aha! Here it is!" I said excitedly.

I had been well aware that he was watching me, and that he now had a confused look on his face. When I looked up at him the look was quickly replaced with the blank expression from before. I then held up a small, clear, plastic bag that had a light brown powder in it. He now looked even more confused then before.

"What's that?" he asked suspiciously.

"It's called lycly, it's a drug," I said.

"A drug? What are you doing with a drug? You don't seem like that kind of person," he said.

"Who said it's for me?" I asked. A look of sudden understanding lit up his face.

"Oh no, I am not going to take any drug," he said. He was starting to look desperate.

"Don't worry," I said as I rolled my eyes, "It doesn't make you act stupid or any thing, it's a medical drug. Doctors use it to put their patients to sleep."

Before he could say anything else I poured some into my hand and blew it towards him. The effects were almost immediate. His eyes started to droop and soon, they were closed and he was sound asleep.

"Don't worry, I'll fix you up," I said to his unconscious body.

I picked him up and carried back through the forest. I unlocked my door and carried him inside. I placed him down on one of the many spare beds I had in my house. I then took off his cloak thingy to get a better look at his arm.

'Just as I thought, it's a compound fracture,' I thought.

It didn't matter to me, all that meant is that I would have to put his bone back inside his skin. He was wearing a thin black shirt that I then had to take off. The bone in his arm was sticking out about two inches. I put some white rubber gloves on and then I took hold of his arm with both of my hands. I pulled them apart from each other very slowly and the bone started to recede into his skin. When it was finally in I made sure that the bones were aligned. I then got a piece of splint wood and some bandages and I put his arm in a cast.

'Maybe I should sign it,' I thought.

This was somewhat amusing, at least it made me laugh. I finally settled down and decided to look at his leg. I rolled up his pant leg and I was relived to see that it wasn't broken.

'Just a bad sprain, a cracked bone at the most.'

I wrapped his leg in bandages like the ones on his arm. I rolled his pant leg back down and looked at his face. Now that I was finished tending to his wounds I could take some time to study his features. He had spiky black hair with a white starburst in the middle. His face was rigid. It seemed like one big vast pool of sorrow, as if his whole life was one big, painful memory.

'Like mine,' I thought sadly to myself.

He was very muscular and looked like he was in really good health.

'He could probably crush a boulder into gravel with his bare fist,' I imagined this in my head.

My mom used to be able to do that, but she used her powers. My eyes went back to his face. It was then that I noticed something I hadn't noticed before. He had tied a piece of clothe around his forehead.

'Why would he do that?' I asked myself, 'sure it looks cool, but I wonder if there is something underneath it.'

I leaned my head closer to get a better look at it. I lifted my hand and started to undo the knot behind his head. Suddenly his eyes snapped open and he sat up very abruptly.

"Owww, that hurt!" I said as I leaned back in my chair rubbing my now very sore forehead.

"Well, what were you doing leaning over me girl?" he growled at me.

"I wasn't doing anything," I said as my checks flushed a little bit.

"Wh-," he started when he put his hand to his forehead. "YOU WERE TRYING TO UNDO MY HEADBAND WEREN'T YOU?" He yelled.

He looked really scary when he was mad. "Well, I was j-just curious," I stammered.

"Don't your parents teach you manners?" He yelled.

"They did when they were alive," I whispered.

"So what if your parents are dead? Just 'cause your parents aren't around doesn't mean that you can disrespect other people's property! I grew up without any parents too, you know!" he growled angrily.

I looked at him with surprise.

"How long have they been dead?" he asked blankly as he looked the other way.

"T-two years now," I whimpered. I could barely talk about them. It still hurt so much, even if they had been dead for two years now. A tear slid down my cheek.

"How old are you?" He asked.

"S-sixteen," I sniffed.

"Hm, At least you knew your parents. Mine abandoned me when I was born," he said. I looked at him.

I knew at that moment why his face looked so sorrowful. His life really was a big painful memory.

"Why?" I asked.

I knew it was none of my business, but, as I said before, I'm a very curious person.

"Sigh because where I come from men are viewed as evil creatures," he explained. (I don't care if Hiei's OOC! I didn't want to change it.)

A sudden burst of laughter erupted from me.

"What's so funny about that?" he demanded.

"I-it's j-just that," I had to stop for a second because I was laughing so hard. He had a look of great annoyance on his face and that just made me laugh harder.

"I'm sorry, as I was saying before, it's just that here we are telling each other about our past and I don't even now your name and vice versa," I said as I clutched my sides when another spurt of laughter shook me.

"You have the weirdest sense of humor, did you know that?" he asked.

He sounded really serious, but I knew it was a joke. He waited patiently for a few minutes for me to settle down.

"My name is Hiei."

"Hiei? That's a cool name. I'm Carrie," I said.

"Carrie, I think that I can remember that. That is if you didn't give me any permanent damage when you hit me with that rock."

"I am so sorry about that. It's just that it felt like you were ignoring me and I hate it when people ignore me," I explained.

"I was asleep, at least I was until you came along and chucked that rock," Hiei said smirking.

"Did you bandage my arm yourself? You did an okay job for a little girl," Hiei said grumpily.

"Thanks, I guess," I said awkwardly. I didn't know whether to take that as a compliment, or as an insult.

"Your arm'll be in a cast for at least four months."

"What!" Hiei yelled. There was a look of disbelief in his eyes, "You're kidding, right?"

"No, I am not kidding. You have to keep your arm in a cast for a while to let the bones heal."

"I can still walk around though, right?" he asked.

"Sigh no Hiei, are you forgetting about your leg?" I reminded him.

"Oh, right I forgot about that."

"But your leg wasn't broken so you won't have it on as long as your arm. Although you might be a little sore there for a while."

"Oh, okay," Hiei said absently.

I turned to see what he was looking at and I saw that he was looking out a window. He was looking at the outside world with a longing in his eyes I had never seen before, at least as long as I had known him.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked him.

"Hn."

"How did you get up in that tree? I didn't see a ladder."

"That is none of your business." He said coldly.

"Fine, be that way," I pouted.

Hiei's eyes started to droop. "You should get some sleep," I said as I pushed him back into a lying position. I could feel him tense under my touch. He began to slowly nod off.

I decided to go outside to the stream that ran in front of my house to wash Hiei's cloak and shirt. They were covered in the blood from his arm injury. I gathered them in a steel basket and walked out into the sunshine. There was a warm summer breeze as I walked up to the stream. It was so peaceful. I reached the stream and leaned over to start washing his clothes but I stopped. There was someone behind me.

"Who is he?" he said accusingly.

"He is a boy I found in the woods. There is nothing going on between us, Sesshomaru," I said calmly as I started to wash the clothes.

"Hpmh, I still do not trust him. Why is he in your house anyway?" the silver haired demon puffed out of the corner of his mouth as he sat next to me.

"I knocked him out of the tree with a rock and gave him a broken arm and an injured leg," I replied calmly.

I had finished washing Hiei's clothes and put them back in the basket. I then got up and walked back to the house. I stopped at a thin metal wire that was strung across two trees. I began to hang them up.

"I will be with you in a minute Sesshomaru. I need to finish tending to him," I yelled as I walked back into my house.

Hiei was still sound asleep and was snoring very softly; it was barely audible. I smiled and I almost laughed. He looked so different when he wasn't in a drugged sleep. His features where softer and he looked more child like. I noticed a small scratch had appeared on his face.

'It must have been from my hand when he sat up so suddenly.' His lips where slightly apart and this gave him the appearance of a child who was resting after a day of romping through the forest. I smiled and pulled the covers up over him. I then went and got some tea ready for my guest who was waiting outside. When I was finished I put some lavender on the table next to Hiei. It would help him relax. I then proceeded outside with the tea. Sesshomaru was sitting at the small garden table that was a little way off to the right of my house. It was in the middle of my rose garden. My roses were my pride and joy.

"So, what do you want to talk about Sesshomaru?" I inquired calmly as I placed his tea in front of him.

"You know that that boy is not human, right?" he asked.

"Yes, I figured that when I saw his reaction to the lycly. He was unconscious in seconds," I replied as I took a sip from my tea.

"You used lycly to knock him out? Was he mad?" Sesshomaru now looked very interested.

"No, he wasn't so mad about the me knocking him out as much as me knocking him out of the tree," I smiled bashfully.

"You knocked him out of a tree?" Sesshomaru laughed.

"Well, it seemed like he was ignoring me and I got mad and so I through a rock at him. I guess it spooked him a bit because he fell out of the tree he was sleeping in," I said with as much dignity as I could muster.

This, of course, made Sesshomaru laugh harder.

"I need more lycly," I said. "Can you get me some more please?" I looked at Sesshomaru with my puppy dogface.

"You don't have to make that stupid face Carrie," Sesshomaru said as he stood to leave. "I shall have it to you by next week, alright? I won't be in this part of the forest, though, so if that demon tries something, don't hold back. Okay?" He walked over to me and kissed my cheek.

"Keep safe," he warned me.

"You too," I smirked at him.

He then turned and jumped towards the forest. I picked up my things and walked back to the house. I decided to get dinner started. I took out a box of cereal and a bowl and some milk. I was so creative when it came to cooking. 'I hope Hiei likes Cheerios,' I thought to myself. When I finished I put my bowl in the sink and started to walk towards my room. It was dark outside and there was a full moon. I loved full moons; they made me feel like I could do anything. I quickly changed into my nightgown and checked on Hiei once more. He was still asleep. I was now sure that he was a demon due to the after affects of the lycly. It made demons unusually tired after they first woke up. I had no doubt that Hiei would be out through the night. I turned off the light on the bedside table and went off to bed.

The next morning I awoke to groans. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. The groans turned to whimpers and then back. They sounded as if whatever was making them was in a great deal of pain. 'Oh my god! Hiei!' I thought angrily to myself as I jumped out of bed. When I reached Hiei he was tossing and turning, clutching his arm in pain. I saw immediately what had happened. His bandages had broken and his bones were grinding against each other. I hurried over to the right side of his bed. The wound was worse than I first thought. There was blood everywhere. I realized that Hiei had pierced the artery in his arm. If I didn't stop the bleeding soon, Hiei would bleed to death. Then I did the worse thing possible in this kind of situation; I panicked. I didn't know what to do. I was so afraid that Hiei would die that I couldn't think straight. I tried to blotch up all the blood that was coming from his arm. That did absolutely nothing. The only thing that I could hope for was that Hiei would remain asleep.

Akari: So, there's my first chapter for you. Did you like it?

Jusono: (pants heavily) O-of course t-they like i-it.

Akari: I want to ask, but I won't.

Jusono: Ask what? What that evil bastard did to me?

Hiei: (Walks into the room) did someone call?

Akari: (laughs) You guys should be on T.V. or something.

Jusono: Yay! She smiled!

Hiei: Shoot.

Jusono: You shut up!

Akari: (once again ignores fighting in background.) Anyway, please tell me if you like my story, or if it totally sucks. Either way, I'm fine with it.

Akari: Goodbye now people.


	2. Chapter 2

Akari: I got a review!

Hiei: So?

Jusono: Hiei, could you for once just shut up?

Hiei: Why you little-

Akari: Both of you shut up before I kick you out of my house and take back all of the sweet snow I gave you!

Hiei and Jusono: …

Akari: I thought so. So, how have all of you beautiful people been? I have been doing great. (I just had a lot of sugar, so that's why I'm hyper.)

Hiei: I'm leaving. I can't stand your hyperness. (Pick up carton of ice cream and heads for the door.

Akari: Hold it mister. Where so you think you're going with all of that ice cream? Aren't you forgetting something?

Hiei: (Tenses up) You cannot make me say it.

Jusono: Fine, then give back the sweet snow. (Holds out hand expectantly)

Hiei: (sigh) Akari doesn't own Yu Yu Hakusho. There, you happy now?

Akari: (claps hands and jumps up and down) Very! You're so cute when you pout like that.

Hiei: I-AM-NOT-CUTE! (stomps out the door.

Akari: Awwwww, we chased him away…

Akari: This chapter is a bit… weird. Please go with it. Thanks!

And one more thing, thanks Kris! You're my first reviewer!

(Hiei's P.O.V.)

I awoke to a great pain that erupted form my right arm. I opened my eyes and saw Carrie standing above me; she looked really scared. She didn't seem to notice that I had woken. I turned my attention to my broken arm. I was mildly shocked to see what had happened. I then knew why Carrie looked so scared. She panicked.

"Oh no. Hiei please don't move. Trust me, I know what I'm doing," Carrie said in an extremely worried voice.

"Yeah, right. If you know what you are doing than why are you panicking?" I asked her in a calm voice. I needed her to calm down if I was going to live through this. She looked scared to death.

"Calm down Carrie. We can do this, but you need to calm down," I said firmly. "Take a deep breath. That's it, now breath out." She did this for a few minutes and she finally looked like she was back in control.

"Okay, time for confessions," she began. "I have no clue what to do." Carrie began to look anxious again.

"Don't worry, I do; but I need you to stay absolutely calm. One mistake could prove deadly."

"Okay. But no pressure, right?" she said sarcastically.

"Come on, knock it off. We need to be serious," I scolded her. "Now, you need a belt or something you can tie around my arm, and some stitching wire and a sewing needle will work. If you don't have stitching wire than thread will be fine."

"Okay." Carrie ran off to find the things I had asked for. She was back in about a minute.

"Good. Now tie the belt tightly below my shoulder. Tightly, okay? It needs to be tight enough to stop the blood flow," I directed. She did as she was told, but while she did she asked questions.

"If you cut off the flow of blood to a certain part of the body, then won't that part eventually die and then have to be amputated? If that happens to you, you are going to have to go somewhere else, because I ain't gonna cut off your limb."

"Well, it is true that if the blood flow to any area of the body is cut off, than it will eventually end up needing amputation. Hopefully you will work quickly enough so that my arm will not reach the point where it would need amputation. Now that you are finished with the belt I need you to thread the needle with the stitching wire. You now how to sow, right?"

Carrie nodded her head. "Good. Now you need a knife, sorry I forgot about that."

"Don't worry about it," Carrie said. She looked a little pale and she stumbled a bit as she went to get the knife. When she returned she looked a bit better.

"You okay?" I asked nervously.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that I got a bit freaked when I found out that there was probably going to be cutting involved," she smiled nervously.

"Don't worry. I know that you can do this," I said reassuringly to her. "Now, as you guessed, you need to cut open the wound more."

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"So that you can get to the cut artery," I told her. "Do you think that you can do this?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied.

"Okay, cut slowly and precisely. I don't want you to make a mistake."

She swallowed and placed the edge of the blade onto my flesh. She pressed down and began to cut my arm open. Sharp jolts of pain shot up and down my arm, but I didn't wince. The last thing I wanted was her to think that she was hurting me. She was just about finished when there was a loud knock on the door. Carrie flinched and made a small nick in my arm.

"Oh shoot! I'm _soo_ sorry! I didn't mess up did I?" Carrie said. She sounded very flustered.

"Don't worry, you didn't mess anything up. Now go answer the door," I told her. She washed her hands and hurried off to get the door.

"Hello Carrie! How have you been? May I come in?" I heard a voice say. The voice sounded as if it came from a young teenage boy.

'I know that voice, but where from?' I thought to myself. The door was in the other room so I couldn't see the boy or Carrie.

"Well, I'm kinda in the middle of something important," I heard Carrie say.

"Oh, I understand. I just came by to see how you are fairing on your own," the boy said.

"Shuichi!" I heard Carrie said. "I can handle myself, thank you very much." She sounded very angry.

'Kurama! I knew that voice was familiar,' I thought angrily. I heard Carrie pulling the door open more so that she could slam it shut.

"Wait! Carrie, invite him in. I think that he can help us!" I shouted.

Carrie's head poked around the corner of the door that led to the next room. "How do you know?" she asked.

"We're old friends. Now let him in," I demanded.

"Okay Shuichi, I guess you can come in," Carrie said grumpily.

A few seconds later she led a tall red haired boy into the room. "Hiei! What are you doing here? I thought you said that you would never come back to this city!" Kurama said.

"Yes well, Mokuro sent me on a mission. She said she needed me to kill a demon that was threatening her," I said.

"Well, either that demon was a handful or Carrie here has something to do with that," he said nodding at my arm.

"Yeah it was her. So, can you fix it?" I asked him. I knew he could.

"Yes, I believe that I will be able to stitch it up for you Hiei," Kurama replied smoothly.

"You should probably leave," Kurama turned to Carrie.

"G-good idea," she stuttered in reply.

"No, she needs to stay," I said crossly. "She's never been in a situation like this before. It will be good for her to see you working."

"He's got a point," Kurama turned sympathetically towards Carrie. "I know that you don't like this kind of stuff Carrie, but you'll have to see it eventually."

Carrie shot a dark glance at me. How was I supposed to know that she hated this kind of medical treatment? Carrie took a seat that was opposite to where Kurama sat at my wounded arm.

"Hmm, this cut is almost perfect, except for the nick at the end," Kurama said as he examined the wound.

"That happened when you knocked on the door. You scared me half to death! You're lucky that I didn't sever his artery completely!" Carrie growled. Although she sounded angry, I could tell that she was joking because she had a huge smile on her face.

"You did this? Even with your fear of knives and cutting and stuff like that?" Kurama asked jokingly.

"Get to work, fox. Carrie could have been finished by now," I growled at him.

"Okay, let's get down to business," Kurama said as he picked up the knife and began to finish what Carrie had started.

When he was finished with that he began to stitch up my wound. It was about fifteen minutes before Kurama was finished with my arm. He removed the belt from my arm.

"Ouch!" I gasped as I felt a prickly sensation running through my arm.

You know that feeling when your arm falls asleep and it feels like a thousand needles are poking you? Okay, imagine that, but with knives. Yes, with knives. That's how much it hurt.

"Don't worry about the pain Hiei, that's a good sign. It means that your arm is still alive," Kurama said calmly.

"I would rather it be dead," I said through clenched teeth.

"Don't worry, I'll go get a pain killer. Carrie, where can I find a bottle of tasagarn?"

"In the closet at the end of the hall," Carrie whispered. I turned to look at her as Kurama left the room.

She didn't look too good. "Carrie, are you okay?" I asked calmly as I placed my left hand on her knee. She seemed to relax a bit and nodded her head.

"I found it!" Kurama said as he reentered to the room.

I quickly took my hand off of Carrie's knee. I didn't want Kurama to think that I actually had _feelings _for the girl.

"This'll make you fall asleep, but you need the rest," Kurama said as he filled a shot full of the golden liquid.

"I know what the effects of tasagarn are Kurama," I snapped at him.

"You don't need to snap at me like that Hiei," Kurama said as he injected the liquid into my good arm.

I felt the effects immediately. In moments, I was asleep.

Akari: That's the end of chapter two! I have plenty more chapies already written, so there shouldn't be any long waiting periods. Oh, and please review. I don't want to end up feeling all depressed again.

Hiei: (throws open the door) You guys are sick.

Jusono: (looks shocked) Why, Hiei! I have no idea what you are talking about!

Hiei: Don't give me that crap, onna! I know it was you who ate all of my ice cream.

Jusono: I swear hiei; it's like you're in love with that stuff. I think that you should get married to it.

Hiei: Shut up!

Akari: Here we go again… Well, I know that this chapter was a little cheesy, and Hiei seems to sleep a lot… but it will get better, I promise! Please review! Goodbye now people!

Akari: Oh, and before I forget, how do you reply to reviews? I'm new and I haven't quite figured out all of the systems yet.


	3. Chapter 3

Akari: Hello.

Hiei: Hn.

Akari: …

Hiei: …

Akari: Well, this is awkward.

Hiei: hn.

Akari: Can't you speak anything other than 'hn'?

Hiei: Hm.

Akari: I give up… Here's the next chapter! Enjoy! I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. 

(Carrie's P.O.V.)

I looked at Hiei's unconscious body and smiled at his tired face.

"Are you okay Carrie?" Kurama asked quietly.

I jumped slightly. "It's nothing," I laughed. It was a forced laugh though, and Kurama knew it was.

"Would you like some tea? It will help settle your nerves a bit."

"Thank you Shuichi, that's very kind of you," I said, this time with a real smile.

Kurama smiled back. He turned and left the room. I sighed.

'I wonder how Hiei met Shuichi. What did he call him? Kurama? Yeah, that's what it was, Kurama!' I thought to myself.

"Here's your tea," Kurama said gently as he held the tea in front of me. I snapped out of my thoughts.

"Oh, thanks. Hey Shuichi, how do you know Hiei?" I asked innocently.

"It's a long story, I'd rather not talk about it," Kurama answered coldly.

"Okay. So, do you know that Hiei is a demon?" I asked briskly.

I had told Kurama that I could see demons and evil creatures a while ago, although he never really seemed to believe me… Kurama practically choked on the mouthful of tea he had just drunk.

"Wh-what did you say?" he coughed, wiping his chin with his napkin.

"I said: Do you know that Hiei is a demon?" I replied.

I was trying to keep a straight face, but it wasn't going to well. I burst into a fit of laughter. Kurama had regained his composure.

"How do you know? Did he tell you?" Kurama asked seemingly interested.

"No, I don't think he knows that I know he's a demon. I figured it out when I used lycly on him," I finished contentedly.

Kurama's face had reverted to its earlier surprised state. "Lycly? You know what lycly is?" he asked.

"Yes Kurama. I believe I told you that I knew about demons and stuff like that. In fact, it was a demon that brought me the lycly to begin with. His name is Sesshomaru and he protects me, but when he's not around, "I'm totally exposed" as he would put it. So, he gave the lycly to me to place in a burner. It makes an invisible barrier that wards off demons; not the really strong ones, but most of the common ones would be repelled by it," I explained.

"Hmmm," he seemed thoughtful again. "Maybe I should have listened to you more closely. I didn't think that you could really see demons. I mean, you told me you could see demons _after_ your parents death, so I thought that it might have been a side affect of the pain you were feeling."

"Yeah, I get your point. I could always see demons; ever since I got my familiar tattooed on my back," I said.

"You have a familiar?" Kurama asked. He looked shocked, but serious.

"Yes. I come from a long line of demon slayers. Both of my parents were demon slayers, and I believe it was a demon that killed them. Each member of my family had a unique familiar. When I say "unique", I mean it as in there is not another one like it. The slayers familiar is assigned by the head slayer depending on the person's personality. My mother's was a tiger named Arigato. My father's was a wolf named Saber."

Kurama looked up from his tea. "And yours?" he asked innocently.

"Mine? Well…" I paused. "Well what?" "Well, you see. Oh just forget about it. It's none of your business anyway!" I yelled and stomped out of the room. I ran into my bedroom and slammed the door.

'Stupid Shuichi! Argh! No! No! No! Stupid, it's Kurama! Why was he being so nosey? Well duh! He was interested; I was the one who brought up the subject anyway, so why am I taking out my frustration on Kurama? I should have countered him by asking how he knew Hiei! And who the hell is this Mokuro person anyways? sigh Stop thinking. Remember your breathing exercises now Carrie!' I thought to myself.

I sat down on my bed. I felt that burning sensation on my back again. Damn it was so annoying. It meant that Kunai would be back soon. Stupid bird. I wish that I had control of the stupid thing, but _noooo_, my familiar had to be "special." Stupid head slayer! Stupid Kunai! Stupid…

Whoops, sorry about that! I got a little side-tracked! Heh-heh.

Well, anyways, back to the story. As I was saying before, I was sitting there on my bed thinking calmly to myself. (Okay, so maybe 'calmly' isn't the best way to describe the way I was thinking to myself!) After a few minutes of thinking heatedly about nosy Kurama, my mind began to wander. Before I knew what I was doing, I was thinking about Hiei. Not just an ordinary picture of Hiei, oh no. I was thinking of a shirtless Hiei who was in the middle of training. I'll tell you that my head snapped up so quickly that I think that I caused permanent damage to my neck. I both mentally and physically slapped myself. I looked into the mirror. My face was flushed so red, it looked like a strawberry. I then realized that the burning sensation was hotter then ever, signaling Kunai's return.

I quickly removed my shirt and looked at my back. There, glowing bright red around the beautifully intricate edges, was a huge tattoo of a red and gold phoenix.

"Hello Kunai," I said lazily.

A perfect copy of the bird appeared beside me. It chirped happily and the burning sensation went away. I put my shirt back on as there came a knock on the door.

"What?" I yelled.

"Is everything okay?" came Kurama's voice through the door.

"Yes, everything's just perfect!" I yelled again. I turn to Kunai, who was still sitting on the bed.

"Chirp?" she said as she cocked her head to the side.

"Shhhh," I whispered to the bird.

"Are you sure? I thought I heard someone else in there," Kurama said, this time his voice was creased with worry.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just the birds…" I trailed off as the door started to open. Kurama's head popped in.

"Shesh! Kurama! What if I was naked or something?" I yelled at him as I threw a pillow at him. He ducked behind the door again.

"If you were naked you would have told me," he stated flatly.

"Hmph, whatever. So, what do you want?" I asked sternly, as I crossed my hands over my chest. He walked into the room.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry if I opened an old wound," he whispered softly.

"Huh?" I asked almost immediately after he finished talking.

"It means I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings by prying into your private life."

"Ohh… I knew that. It's okay."

"I'm going to leave now, 'kay?" he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Yeah, yeah. You can leave if you want to. Sorry about the whole Hiei thing," I replied sheepishly.

"Heh, just don't go throwing rocks at people who are up in really tall trees." I threw another pillow at him. He caught it in his hands.

"Hiei should awake in about an hour or so. I'll be back as soon as I can, and please, don't try anything else that might kill him… or you. Promise?" Kurama made a puppy dogface.

Damn, he could pull it off a lot better then I could.

"Okay. I won't do anything stupid," I said as I pushed him out the door.

"See ya," he said as he waved his hand.

I watched as he walked down the small dirt path that led to the city. I smirked at Kurama's back.

'I have no clue how my parents didn't realize that you were a demon.' I shook my head and went back inside to take a nap.

Hiei: Is it just me, or is everyone sleeping?

Akari: Shut up. I know that there's a lot of zzz's, but give me a break. I started writing this a while ago.

Hiei: Speaking of which a while, I haven't seen the monster for quite some time.

Akari: You mean Jusono? She's seeing a psychiatrist.

Hiei: You finally drove her crazy, didn't you?

Akari: I did not! Her parents are going through a divorce right now, so she's feeling a lot of pressure and stress. She just needed to vent before it totally consumed her.

Hiei: Hn.

Akari: Whatever. I have four reviews now! Yes! Thank you all! (Throws out flowers to people who reviewed) There's more prizes for those who review! Although, I haven't thought of any…

Hiei: Baka onna.

Akari: Baka otoko.

Akari: Please review. And pray for Jusono please! She's going through a really hard time right now and could use your guy's support. And, yes, Jusono is a real person.

Goodbye now people.


	4. Chapter 4

Akari: smiles sheepishly Heh heh, um, yeah. It took me a really long time to update this chapter. For some reason or another, my computer decided that it would be fun to totally delete this chapter and replace it with a copy of the previous one. So, I finally found some time to retype this chapter.

Hiei: That's because you are lazy.

Akari: I am not lazy! I've just been busy with… school! Yeah, that's it! I've been busy with school!

Hiei: looks at her in disbelief Aren't you on summer break right now?

Akari: Um…. Uh….

Jusono: sitting at a computer, eyes fixed on the screen

Hiei: What is she doing?

Akari: She's probably on Inugumi talking to Miroku-san.

Hiei:….?

Akari: It's an RPG website, you wouldn't like it. Anyways, here's the chapter.

I was standing on what appeared to be a lake filled with black water. I took a step forward and ripples spread from where I placed my foot. I placed more pressure on it; it held. I looked around. Besides for some black shadows that came from fish that were swimming under my feet in schools, I was completely alone.

I sighed. I was about to say something sarcastic when I heard a moan. I cocked my head to the side as I walked towards the sound. I walked for what seemed like hours. I heard many more sounds as I moved forward.

Suddenly, there was an ear-piercing screech as a huge, black, flaming bird rose from the watery depths. It hovered for a few seconds starring at me as if it were looking into my soul. I blinked and it gave a shuddering sigh as it collapsed in front of me.

The black flames slowly started to recede and my eyes widened as a figure emerged from the embers. It was a girl with long black hair, wearing a tight, black outfit. I noticed it had several tears in it. She looked like she was unconscious.

She was lying facedown on the surface of the lake. Ripples spread from her body and intertwined with the ones that came from my footsteps as I walked towards the girl; when I reached her, I leaned over her body.

I jumped back when she started to push up off the ground. A strong wind began to blow. I tore at the remains of the back of her shirt. I gasped as I saw what was underneath; a black phoenix was tattooed on her pale skin.

I noticed right then that she looked incredibly familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Once she was fully upright she turned to face me. Her head was down and it cast a shadow over her face. I had and eerie feeling of déjà vu. It was so strong that I felt nauseous for a few seconds. I put my hand to my head and closed my eyes.

When I opened them again she was starring at me. Her stormy gray eyes were so full of hatred and sorrow, but at the same time held love and compassion. She took a strong step forward. Her eyes were trained on me as she continued her advance towards me. I had another wave of déjà vu and I realized that I was dizzy I tried to calm down, but it was hopeless. My knees slowly buckled and I kneeled before this strange yet familiar girl. She gave a slight chuckle when I fell to my knees. It sent shivers up and down my spine. I put my hand over my mouth and my other across my stomach to try and calm my stomach. It worked. I still couldn't get up, but I no longer felt like I was going to pike.

She took another step forward and I felt another wave of dizziness. My head felt like it was going to explode. I closed my eyes and I fell forward, unable to stand the pain for much longer. I heard her laugh again as she kneeled next to me.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" she whispered in my ear as she stroked my shoulder.

I felt sharp jolts of pain spreading from the place she touched me. I tried to wriggle away from her touch, but it was useless.

My body was paralyzed.

She laughed again. Damn I hate that laugh.

It started out as a soft chuckle, but soon escalated to unrestrained laughter.

"W-what's so funny?" I managed to whisper, although it was barely audible. Her laughter stopped so abruptly I winced just because it shocked me. The answer she gave me was just as shocking.

"I just like to see you in pain, bastard," she said casually as she stroked my hair. My head did not like her touch; it shot pain throughout my body in protest, but I had no choice. I couldn't move, I could no longer mutter a sound, I felt completely hopeless.

"I'm just going to use you body for a bit, then you can have it back," she said happily as she traced my lips with her fingers.

I felt numb, and tired. I struggled to keep my eyes open. I succeeded in fighting off the exhaustion that had threatened to drown me moments before.

"You sure are stubborn. No matter, I have ways of making you sleep."

With that, she leaned down and kissed me.

It was no longer the matter of _if_ I could stay awake, but _how long_ before I fell asleep. I decided to stop fighting her. It would save me from the terrible pain that was coming from my lips I closed my and fell into her outstretched arms.

Akari: That's my story. Please review! Please! It shouldn't take me as long to update it again. I do have a good amount of it written.


	5. Chapter 5

Akari: Hello people! I have decided to update two chapters to make up for my…. Um…. Long leave of absence….

Reinya: Yay! You're finally updating! It's about time.

Hiei: And she is…?

Reinya: I'm Reinya, and Itachi is smexier than you!

Itachi: ……… sweatdrops

Akari: Anyway…. On with the chapter!

(Carrie's P.O.V.)

I yawned as I stretched in my bed after my nap. I looked at the clock. I had been asleep for two hours!

"Shoot," I said as I threw off my covers and ran into the room Hiei was in. to my surprise he wasn't where I had left him.

"Hiei?" I asked as I looked around.

I knew this was the place I had put him, my memory isn't that bad. I looked around for a few more minutes, but I couldn't find anything. I shook my head and went back to my room. Hiei had probably gone outside or something. He was a demon, and I most say, I knew little about the way they think.

I stopped in the hallway on my way back to my room. There was a mirror there. I looked at my reflection thoughtfully. My hair was long, straight, and coal black. It hung like a curtain around my face. My eyes, I liked them the best, were stormy gray and full of curiosity. I think that they are the prettiest feature on my entire being. There odd color always drew attention to them. I had pale skin, even though I spent a lot of time outdoors. I tried to tan, but I never did, I never burned either. I sighed, no matter how hard I tried, and I could never get any tanner.

"The slayers curse," I said to myself, not really expecting an answer.

"I know how you feel." I whirled around and saw Hiei sitting on his bed.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you! I told you not to leave the bed until your leg healed!" I scolded.

He smirked, "It feels a lot better, I can walk on it no problem." He stood and walked around.

Something was off. Hiei wasn't acting like Hiei, but I couldn't tell why. He looked confused when he saw that I was glaring at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked innocently.

"What's wrong with you?" I said coldly. He pretended to look like he was really hurt by what I had said, but he failed miserably.

"Cut the crap, who the hell are you?" I snapped at "Hiei."

"My, my, my, no need for such language Arrie, it's not like you don't know me," he smirked.

My skin got ten shades lighter, if possible.

"H-how did you get out?" I whispered.

It felt as if all of my strength had drained out of me through my feet. I felt like I was going to faint. Only one person had ever called me that name, and that person was supposed to be in the darkest recesses of Hell.

"This boy has been to Hell and back, Shurikin thought it would be a good idea to accompany him on his return trip," he smirked.

I swallowed dryly. I felt dizzy. I knew that they were just her mind tricks, but they worked.

"Hiei was ever so kind as to lend me his body for the time being, he will remember nothing of our conversation, or what I did while in control of his body."

"You're evil," I growled at her.

"Why thank-you! That has got to be the nicest thing you have ever said to me!" he mocked happily.

"Go to hell," I snarled, "And give Hiei's body back while you're at it!"

"Tsk, whatever. I no longer need to control this body. I hope that you're ready to catch him," he smirked.

"Till next time," he smiled and then fell forward.

I rushed to catch him before he hit the ground. I caught him gracefully in my arms.

"How could this happen?" I cried to myself.

My tears slid down my cheeks and landed on Hiei's face as I sat there and quietly sobbed.

"What's the matter?" I heard Hiei ask me softly.

My reply was one word:

Akari.

Akari: Oh, the suspense! Who is Akari? Why is she using Hiei's body? And what relation does she have to Carrie? It will all be explained in the next two chapters!

Jusono: You're really weird….

Akari: Am not!

Jusono: Are too…

bickering continues along those lines…

Reinya: Please review! Please! Akari-chan would be very happy, right Itachi-kun?

Itachi stares at her blankly

Reinya:

Akari: Well, till later people!

Akari: And to help clear some things up, I am not the Akari from this story…. 'Kay?

Akari: Oh, one more thing. If you like Naruto and RPGing as a Naruto character, please check out my forum in the Naruto section. Or, you can just go to my profile and check out my forums. Many thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

Akari: Hola people! How's it goin'? I'm doing wonderful. Okay, maybe not so much the wonderful part…. I've been grounded for the past week 'cause I didn't do my stupid geometry homework. Stupid homework. It needs to die…

Reinya: You need to do your homework! I do my homework!

Akari: Yes…. That doesn't change the fact that it needs to die… Oh! I have the highest grade in my LA (English) class… but no one seems to care about that. I think that's what's wrong with the world. They only focus on the negatives, not the positives.

Anyways. On with the story!

(Hiei's P.O.V.)

After Carrie had helped me back to the bed, I had many questions to ask her. I didn't know if I should though; she was really upset.

"I'm so sorry Hiei. I don't know what she said to you, but whatever it was, it wasn't true," she said as more tears slid down her face.

"What are you talking about? No one said anything to me. The last thing I remember is Kurama giving me that shot which put me to sleep," I replied. She wasn't making any sense.

"You… don't remember?" she asked. She raised an eyebrow at me.

"Seriously, I can't remember anything that happened after I fell asleep."

"Oh…"

"Why… What happened?" I asked impatiently.

"Oh, it was nothing!" she chirped. You must be extremely tired. Why don't you take a nice long nap!" she said in that weird, perky tone of voice.

"I'll try…"

"Good!" she exclaimed and stood up so fast that she knocked the glass that had been sitting on a table nearby over.

"Whoopsy! My fault! I'll go put this in the kitchen and then make some phone calls, okay?"

Before I could answer she had zipped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

'Well that was weird,' I thought to myself.

I felt myself starting to lapse back into the darkness that was sleep.

I closed my eyes and fell into a dreamless slumber.

Akari: Wow. That was short.

Hiei: Not short enough…

Akari: Have you ever noticed that you and Jusono are almost the exact same height? Wouldn't that look cute on a wedding cake?

Hiei: glare

Akari: Hee hee. Anyways. The next chapter will explain something… I think… It's been a while since I've actually read this part of the story…. Oh well. Review please! Pretty please!


	7. Chapter 7

Akari: Hello! Konichiwa! It's another glorious day in the world! Overcast and rainy! I love it!!!!

Jusono: It sucks. I hate the rain.

Akari: does a little dance I love it! I always get so excited! On with the story!!! It's longer than one page this time! Yay!!!

(Carrie's P.O.V.)

After I had put the glass away I slid into a chair and cried.

How could this have happened?

Akari was supposed to be locked in hell for all eternity. No one was supposed to have been able to break the seal I put on her soul.

But… She said that Hiei had somehow connected with her, like they were now one.

Was that true? Was Hiei really evil? He didn't seem like it.

Of course, I really didn't know Hiei front and backwards. For all I knew, he could have been a mass murderer. I shook my head.

"Him and Kurama seemed to be pretty close friends, so he can't be that bad," I said to myself.

I stood and wiped my tears. I needed to go see someone. I walked over to the phone. I looked at the calendar I had on the wall as I dialed the number.

"Hello. This is Naomi's office. How may I be of service to you?" a young female voice answered.

"Hi, I'd like to speak to Naomi please," I replied.

"Sure, just a moment." I was put on hold for a few minutes until I heard a familiar voice.

"Hello?"

"Hey, what's up? You don't seem to be that busy today," I said in a cheery voice.

"Hey! Well what do you know! It's Carrie! How's it hangin' girl?" Naomi replied, equally happy to hear from me.

"Nothin' much. I got a boy sleeping in the other room though…"

"**CARRIE MICHELLE TORISHIMA! THIS HAD BETTER BE A JOKE! IF IT'S NOT, THEN-YOU-ARE-SO-TOTALLY- DEAD!" **Naomi screamed at the top of her lungs.

I had to hold the phone two feet from my ear and still I winced at every word she said. I smiled and decide I should continue to freak her out.

"Well… It was an accident. I haven't been doin' to well since my 'rents died and, well, I've been drinking."

There was now silence on the other end. I started to get scared because Naomi was **_never_** this quiet unless she was **_really_** mad.

"Well?" she asked in a death tone. I swallowed hard.

"Well, I went to this bar and met this guy. He seemed really nice. His name is Hiei. After we had talked for a bit, and had a few drinks, he asked if he could come home with me. Since I was too drunk to think straight, I said yes. So when we got home he started kissing me, and it sorta led to other… things," I blushed at the last comment. I knew that if Hiei heard me say this, he probably would have killed me.

**"So you slept with him?!" **she yelled. I couldn't hold back my laughter any more.

"This is not funny Carrie. What if you got a disease or got pregnant?" Naomi growled.

"I… I was… joking," I finally got out threw huge gasps of air.

"What?" she sounded confused.

I grinned. "I didn't sleep with him, or kiss him. The only reason Hiei is in this house is because I knocked him out of the tree. He broke his arm, so I felt like I should help him. He is a bit different though…" I trailed off.

I knew that Naomi was not going to like the fact that Hiei was a demon; although she had recovered from the shock of hearing my joke. Sure hope she was ready for some facts.

"Well?" she demanded.

"Well, Hiei… He's a… a demon." I closed my eyes because I thought she was going to scream at me again. She was quiet.

"Hello?" I said tentatively after a while.

"Ha, ha, ha. What is it with your family and demons? I mean first it was your mother, now you…"

"Please leave my parents out of this," I stated coldly. I didn't really care about my family's history with demons.

"Sorry. I guess you're still pretty touchy-feely about that huh?"

"Yeah. I need you to look up some stuff about Hiei. I had a close encounter with the very definition of the word death a few moments ago and I am still in shock."

"'The very definition of the word death'? Sounds intriguing. Care to explain?" Naomi asked casually.

"No," I replied flatly.

Naomi knew I was a responsible girl, (which makes me wonder why she got all freaked out about the drinking thing. She should have known that it was just a joke,) so she didn't press any more.

"Name, Hiei. Average height?" she asked. I could hear her typing in the background.

"Real short. Around 4 something without his hair."

"Around four feet. Big hair."

"Hey! It's not that big!" I said in Hiei's defense. His hair wasn't "big," just tall.

She chuckled. "I was just kidding. Color of eyes?"

"Bright red iris'"

"Red eyes… Color of skin?"

"Huh?"

"You know, like is it black, white, tan, cream, purple…"

"Okay, I get it. It's light cream."

"Hn, this guy sounds a lot like a human. The only odd things are his eyes. You don't see a lot of people walking around with red eyes."

"Yeah," I replied as I walked around the room. I peeked in at Hiei. He was fast asleep.

"Anything else that I should know of? Any odd features?" I thought back to when I had first met Hiei.

"He covers something on his forehead with a white bandana. Will that help?" I asked.

"It might, but don't get your hopes up. Does he carry a weapon?"

"Yeah, I think he has a kantana, but I'm not sure."

"Okay. What kind of clothes does he wear?"

"A long black cloak that goes to his feet. He wears a white scarf around his neck, and like I said earlier, a white bandana around his forehead."

"Okay, that's all I needed. I can run the search right now if you can wait a few minutes."

"Sure." She put me on hold and I went outside to my garden.

It was a few minutes before Naomi got back on the phone. She sounded a bit shaky.

"Carrie, you need to get out of there, and quick."

"Wh-"

"Not know Carrie, listen. I looked up that Hiei guy and I found quite an extensive file on him. He's Mokuro's right hand man."

"Okay, I've had just about enough of this. Who the hell is this Mokuro person?" I asked. Naomi sounded pretty shaky.

"She's my boss." I jumped and turned around.

Hiei was standing in front of me with a frown on his face. He held another phone in his left hand. I swallowed hard.

He had been listening in on my phone conversation!

"Hiei, I-"

"I don't want to hear it Carrie. I trusted you, but then you go and have a **demon slayer** do some research on me? You said so yourself that you knew I was a demon, so why would you sell me out?" he looked truly hurt and I wished more then anything that I hadn't told Naomi about him.

"Carrie? Are you okay? I sent some hunters down there, they should be there shortly."

Before I could say anything Hiei was surrounded by a circle of what appeared to be ninjas. (Okay. This is where the seen shifts to outside. I don't know how they got out there… Okay, it was my mistake, so just deal with it. )

He growled and looked around. I could name every single one of those in that circle. The leader was the Head Slayer himself.

Hiei kept darting his eyes from person to person. He kept backing up, but then he would realize he was trapped and whirl around to face this new opponent. Since his leg still obviously hurt him, not to mention his arm, he could not fight off this many skilled slayers at once.

The leader stepped forward; his name was Kama. Hiei turned slowly to face him; a look of hatred in his eyes.

"Are you Hiei of the Evil Eye?" Kama spoke with his deep, commanding voice.

I think Hiei was in shock, or maybe it was all a part of his plan, but Hiei kneeled before him and bowed his head.

"Yes, sir. That is my name; although I do not go by such a foolish title any more."

"Hmm, at least you know respect; if nothing else." I could see Hiei twitch, but he said nothing.

"Kama I-" I began, but I was so rudely interrupted.

"Do not call His Majesty by his true name. Show some respect Carrie," Kuwa said as he stepped forward.

"If you lay one hand on her, I will flay your flesh from your bones and feed it to the lower class demons," Hiei stated coldly from his spot on the ground.

I knew that that had been a big mistake. I knew Kuwa very well; he was like my brother. He had a very short temper, and got into trouble more often then not because of it.

He walked up to Hiei from behind. Hiei didn't move, but he tensed up, like a snake ready to strike. Kama noticed this and tried to tell Kuwa to get away from him.

"Get away from him Kuwa, he is prepared to strike!" Kama shouted.

Kuwa just laughed and poked Hiei with his shoe. "This demon's all washed up! He probably couldn't hurt a fly!"

He started laughing and some of the other guys joined in.

Kama didn't seem to be enjoying himself, and I wasn't either. I couldn't get this feeling out of my stomach. I didn't know what it was, until I looked at Hiei.

His head was hanging low in what seemed like defeat; oh, was I mistaken! Hiei started laughing along with the slayers, but soon, it was only him.

Except, it wasn't Hiei who was laughing, it was her. Kama took a step back in surprise.

"You!" he shouted.

"Yes me," she said as she stood from her position on the ground.

"Miss me?" (I will be referring to Hiei as a she because he is possessed by a girl.)

"H-how?" Kama exclaimed as he took a step in surprise.

"Why don't you just ask Shuriken? I'll tell you, if I didn't have him, I have no clue what I would've done. That bird is a god send." She smiled again as a black phoenix perched on her arm. I heard a soft growl as Kunai landed on the ground beside me.

"Now, to get down to business. I need to finish what I started two years ago," she said slyly as she turned to me. I flinched and stepped back.

"Hiei," I whispered softly.

"Don't you get it!?" Kuwa shouted at me. "She's broken free because she used Hiei! She can only possess people who are evil!"

"Don't call Hiei evil!" I shouted, shocking us both with my sudden outburst.

"You have no clue what kind of person Hiei is! All you have is a little data! Well let me tell you something: Hiei is one of the nicest people I've ever met, and he would never do anything to hurt me!" Tears fell unrestrained down my cheeks.

I realized in that moment that deep down in my heart I had grown to love Hiei; beyond the brotherly love I felt for Kuwa, this… was different. It hurt deep inside of me to think that Hiei was evil. What was more was that I knew that he wasn't.

I absolutely, beyond a doubt, place my life on it, knew. I realized that Hiei was, behind the jerky exterior, just like me. He was a wondering soul, rejected by everyone he came in contact with; the only people who ever loved him killed or there, but beyond reach.

It suddenly clicked why she had chosen him to be her vessel. Hiei was a pure soul, though it was torn and spiritually damaged. He was alone and sad, no matter how hard he tried to hide. She had an unusual ability of sensing this in people. Such an ability could be used for good, or for evil.

She chose the latter, unfortunately.

Such a soul as Hiei had was very susceptible to other people's will if implied correctly. I fell to my knees. It was almost impossible for someone to break a spell of this type, even for the most experienced slayers.

Kuwa was just looking at me in utter shock. She seemed to quite amused at my words.

"So, Hiei isn't evil eh?" Kuwa said jerkily. "Then how the hell is she controlling him?"

"I'm growing tired of this," Akari (yes, that's who is controlling Hiei.) said in a bored voice; completely ignoring Kuwa's comment. "Just let me kill little Arrie and I'll be on my way…" she gave one last smiled and disappeared.

"Where'd that bastard go?!" Kuwa yelled as he ran to the spot where Akari had previously occupied.

"Aei!" I shouted as she appeared in front of me. She grabbed my throat and held up her fist.

"Now to finish off what should've been done a long time ago." She threw her fist at me and I closed my eyes, praying that it would be quick.

The blow never came.

I opened my eyes and saw Hiei's trembling fist about an inch from my face.

"I- I won't," he stammered.

"Hiei!" I gasped; his fist was still tight around my neck. "Please…" I felt a great conflict rising inside of his mind.

After a few moments his grip relaxed around my throat. Hiei opened his eyes and glared at me. "I c-can't control her for much… longer" he forced through clenched teeth. "You have to go… Now!" he yelled at me.

He threw me toward Kama. "G-get her as far away f-from me as possible!" Hiei yelled. I gasped as I watched him collapse.

"Hiei!" I cried out, "She's going to kill him! I have to help!"

"Quiet Carrie; you're making a scene. Akari will not kill him. She needs him to use as her vessel; but I'm sure that he is wishing that he were dead right now. It's extremely painful to resist Akari's influence. We must leave right now before he succumbs to her will again." Kama pulled at Carrie's arm and she followed him reluctantly.

They ran into the trees and were soon followed by the other demon slayers. They ran quickly and soon they found themselves in another clearing.

"Rein!" Kama called out. There was a crack of lightning and a large golden dragon appeared before them.

"Hurry!" he said as he pushed her onto the dragons back. The smooth scales felt warm and she could feel electricity pulsing through them. Kama climbed up behind her.

The other demon slayers had called upon their familiars and were prepared to make the escape. Kama nodded and Rein took off into the sky.

Off in the distance, Carrie heard a scream.

Tears rolled down her cheeks for the scream she had heard belonged to Hiei; and it was the worst sound she had ever heard:

It was filled with pain and confusion and fear.

Akari: Yep. That's my story. Isn't it awesome!?

Jusono: That was a very cheery statement for a very sad chapter…

Akari: ………. Well…… Yeah….. So?

Jusono: Never mind…

Akari: Until next time folks!


	8. Chapter 8

Akari: Yo.

Jusono: Why'd you say "Yo"?

Akari: 'Cause I felt like it.

Jusono: Who're you, and what did you do with Akari?

Akari: It's me… I didn't do anything with myself.

Jusono: (eyes her suspiciously) Yeah… Right…

Akari: Anyways… I've decided to start teaching all you loyal readers out there Japanese! Now, there are those of you who probably already know Japanese, but this is for those poor, unfortunate souls, who might not be able to learn the beautiful, but slightly complicated language of Japan.

Jusono: That was a nice speech.

Akari: Thank you. Now, I'm going to assume that you all know what _konnichiwa_ and _arigatou_ mean. I will teach you instead, the animals that I know.

Pig: _buta_

Horse: _uma_

Bird: _tori_

Dog: _inu_

Cat: _neko_

Bug: _mushi_

Cow: _ushi_

Monkey: _sara_

Crab: _kani_

Rabbit: _usagi_

Akari: That's all I can remember for now. On with the story!

(Hiei)

Hiei moaned as intense agony ripped through his body. Another wave shook his entire being and he threw up. Hiei didn't know how much longer he could keep this up, but he had to hold out a little longer; the girl wasn't far enough away yet. Hiei couldn't think clearly enough to remember names right now. All he could hear was a cold voice saying the same thing over and over again.

_HOW DARE YOU DEFY ME! _It said, _LET ME GO! IF YOU DON'T, THEN I AM GOING TO HURT YOU SO BAD YOU WILL WISH YOU WERE DEAD! _

Suddenly, a thought ran across his head,

"But you _won't_ kill me."

This thought helped him hold off Akari a bit better. He could remember names now. Carrie still wasn't far away enough, but he figured that she would be soon; her aura was faint.

Distantly, Hiei heard someone call out his name. He also heard someone else yell "What the hell?"

Hiei turned his head, but did not open his eyes. He tried to tell them to stay away, but all that came out was an exhausted moan.

"Hiei-san!" a female voice called from above him. A moment later the pain was gone.

Hiei opened his eyes weakly and saw the face of his sister above him. Her hands were a few inches above his chest and were glowing faintly.

"Hiei! Are you okay?" Hiei turned his head a bit more and saw Yusuke standing in the background.

Hiei tried to say something but the words wouldn't come out. His throat felt dry and scratchy and his heart was beating a thousand miles a minute. Yukina took a cloth out of her pocket and wipped Hiei's sweat covered face off gently.

"You'll be okay now. I'll take care of you," she whispered soothingly. Hiei could no longer hear Akari's voice and he hoped that it would remain that way. Hiei looked pleadingly at his beloved sister.

"Please, be alright," was the last thing he uttered before the darkness slipped over his mind…

Akari: _sigh_ Another short one… Oh my… The next one is short too… Oh well. REVIEW! Reinya was supposed to review… but she didn't… how sad…


	9. Chapter 9

Akari: Well, well, well. It's been a while, ne? My third year in high school is going by fast, I've been really, really busy. So, sorry to all of you who were reading this before… I have two new chapters for you, and I'm working on a third one. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

(Carrie)

Rein landed with a soft thud in front of the demon slayer village, Kirichi. Naomi ran up to meet them; her face was grim with worry.

"Oh Carrie, you're okay!" She hugged Carrie tightly. Carrie growled and pushed her away from her.

"What do you think you're doing?" Carrie yelled.

"W-what?" Naomi asked, hurt.

"It's all your fault!" Carrie yelled and ran off toward where her old room was.

"It seems that we were quite mistaken about Hiei." Kama said as he walked up to a wounded looking Naomi.

"And it seems that our Carrie is quite taken by him."

Naomi just stood there with tears in her eyes. "I… I just wanted to protect her…" she started, but she stopped as she heard a muffled scream. "What have I done?"

Why?

Why did Hiei do that?

Carrie threw herself on the bed. The pain inside her was just too much; she felt like she was going to burst.

Kunai appeared next to my face down head. I turned my tear-streaked eyes toward her. I could see that she was in so much pain. I remembered when Kama told me that our familiars where connected to us, both physically and mentally.

It hurt me even more to know that my stupid emotions were causing Kunai so much grief.

"K-Kunai… I'm so sorry." I cried as I stroked her soft, crimson head.

'Do not worry,' a soft, motherly voice said in my head.

I sat up abruptly.

"Was that you?" I asked the phoenix. She nodded.

'Do not be alarmed, Carrie. I know that I have never spoken to you before; it is a law among our kind. We are not allowed to speak to our masters under any circumstances.' Kunai looked understandably at Carrie's bewildered face.

'But, I think that I can make an exception; just this once.' Carrie was still utterly speechless, so Kunai continued.

'You can go on sulking all you want, but it's not going to change the fact that Hiei is possessed by your sister. I think that you should be comforted by the fact that he's not all talk; he held off Akari's vengeful spirit long enough to let you escape. And that, dear Carrie, is one hell of feat, even for an A-class demon. An A-class is the second to strongest kind of demons there are." Kunai added.

Carrie just sat there and nodded her head, awestruck. Kunai seemed amused at Carrie's reaction.

'I believe that we should start to think up a plan to rescue Hiei from that evil monster of a sister of yours.' Carrie laughed and nodded.

'I'll save you Hiei, just you wait and see.'


	10. Chapter 10

(Hiei)

Hiei opened his eyes with a slight groan. He tried to sit up, but found that he couldn't even twitch a finger. He could move his head, but nothing below the neck.

The door opened and he turned his head to observe the newcomer. It was Yukina.

"Hiei-san! You're awake! Are you okay?" she asked timidly from her spot at the door.

"Yes, except the fact that I can't move, I'm feeling just peachy." Hiei spat sarcastically.

A look of relief crossed her face as she pulled up a chair from the nearby desk.

"What happened to me, why can't I move?"

Yukina looked away from him, "I…"

"I'll take it from here Yukina."

Both of them looked toward the door where Kurama was leaning casually against the frame.

"Thank you, Kurama-san." Yukina said as she stood from her seat by the bed. "Good bye, Hiei-kun." She bowed and left the room.

Kurama took a seat in the chair that Yukina had previously occupied. He looked at Hiei sympathetically.

"Stop that Kurama."

Kurama blinked twice in surprise. "Stop what, Hiei?"

"Stop staring at me like I'm some poor kid who is going to die. It's starting to annoy me." Hiei stated coldly.

He felt something move within his stomach. He choked and started gagging.

"Hiei," Kurama said calmly, although urgently. "Don't fight it, you'll only make it worse."

Kurama placed a bin in front of him and Hiei threw up. Blood stained the bitter tasting fluid and Hiei looked away when he was done. Kurama held up a cloth to wipe a trail of blood that leaked from the corner of his mouth. Hiei felt humiliated and helpless. If he had been any other person, he would have already broken down into tears, but the fire demon wouldn't further humiliate himself like that.

"You are aware of your mental condition?" Kurama asked as calmly as if he was asking about the weather.

"Are you inquiring that I am aware of my own insanity Kitsune? If that is so, than yes."

"Hiei, be serious. What happened after I left? Where's Carrie?"

Hiei lowered his eyes. "That wretch took over my body."

"Carrie!?" Kurama asked, shocked.

Hiei smirked. "Baka, not Carrie, Akari."

"That's impossible. Akari is dead. She died with her parents.

"That fits with what I've heard. Akari says she found me in hell."

Kurama's brow furrowed as his clever mind took in and digested this information.

"But that doesn't tell me anything about Carrie's safety."

"Are you, kitusne, aware of Carrie's background? Or even her family tree?" Hiei was looking out of the window at Yukina, who was currently feeding the small, brown sparrows that huddled around her feet. He thought that Carrie reminded him of a bird, strong, like an eagle, but much more elegant and beautiful. She also had a sweet disposition toward friends, but would burn her enemies to the ground if necessary.

"I never really asked; they were always a bit touchy with that subject." Kurama looked interested to hear what Hiei had to say.

"She's a demon slayer. She betrayed me. I never want to see her horrid face again."

Kurama looked like he was about to respond, but Hiei began to throw up again. This time it was more blood than acid. When he finished he was still coughing up some blood and his lungs felt constricted.

"K-Kurama… What the hell is wrong with me?" he asked hoarsely as Kurama helped him lie back down. If felt that his very life energy was being sucked out of him.

"Well…." Kurama began.


	11. Chapter 11

Akari: Here ya go, fresh from the press. 

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakushou

* * *

(Carrie)

The young woman moved through the town with much determination, her lips were drawn in a grim line, and her eyes stared straight forward. Kunai perched on her shoulder, her demeanor little better than her master's. Carrie walked at a steady pace, not moving out of anyone's way, since people seemed to be avoiding her. It didn't bother her, she was used to it. It had always been like this, ever since she could remember. It wasn't her fault, she always told herself, it was their fault. The close minded people, those monsters. Looking at her with cold eyes, whispering amongst themselves as she walked by. That was her life. That was why she was not a slayer.

But none of that mattered at the moment. She needed to speak with Kama, it was time to set things straight. What had happened to Hiei had been her fault, if she hadn't bothered him when he was sleeping in that tree… That god-forbidden tree…

Kunai nudged her gently, her smooth beak lightly touching her exposed ear. They were at the village council; this was where Kama was.

As she pushed open the doors, everyone looked up from what they were doing. Several conversations were paused as she moved across the marble floor to where a very worried looking woman sat behind a desk.

"Carrie, if I had known I would have never-" Naomi began.

"I need to speak to Kama. It's urgent." Her eyes were cold, unfeeling. She wasn't ready to make nice with Naomi. Not yet.

The secretary sat still for a moment, looking up at the young woman before her with much sadness on her face. Finally deciding she shouldn't push it, Naomi nodded. "Go on up, his in his office."

Carrie gave a curt nod of her head and left, swiftly leaving the terribly silent room. The whispers had started, spreading like wild fire as she ascended the stairs. Just a bunch of gossiping old ladies, she told herself.

The council building was not very tall, just rather wide. It had three stories, and many, many rooms. Carrie knew it well; she had walked about the halls often when her mother had worked here. She moved towards the door at the end of a particularly long hallway, and a peculiar one at that. No other doors broke its pristine whiteness. The lights were dim, which kept it from looking like a hospital, but gave it an incredibly creepy atmosphere. But nothing would slow or deter her from her mission. She was going to do this. She had to do this.

As she reached the door, she reached her hand out for the doorknob. It twisted before she could touch it, however, and swung inwards, revealing a tall, handsome man. It was her mother's brother.

"Carrie." He said, a bit surprised but he his it well. He wore a warm smile, and his eyes were soft and calm. He always knew how to handle a situation, much unlike her mother had.

"Hello, Kiriyuki-san. I need to speak with Kama-san right away." Kunai fidgeted on her shoulder as a black cat appeared at her uncle's feet. He was a large creature, about two feet tall and black as coal. His eyes were haunting, a very clean cut yellow. Kunai did not like him very much.

"We were actually just discussing your circumstances. I was just about to go and find you. Please, come in." He ushered her in with a long, slow sweeping motion of his arm. She obliged and stepped into the room. It was large and dark, the walls were painted a navy blue, the carpet was the same. Carrie realized for the first time that everything in it was amazingly boring. Hadn't Kama ever heard of a color other than blue?

As she entered, the leader of the Demon Slayers motioned for her to take a seat in, this is going to be shocking, a blue chair. She did so, and Kunai hopped down onto her lap, the warmth radiating off of her like a comforting hug. Both of them looked directly at Kama, and both knew what this was going to be about.

"Carrie…" Kama began slowly, his voice heavy with the weight of what he was going to say to her. "You have been living alone now for two years. It worries this village that you are out there without any of us around you to protect you."

"And by 'this village' you mean you and Naomi. We all know that 'this village' doesn't give a shit about me."

"Carrie!" That was her uncle. "Don't take to Kama-san like that!" He had taken the seat next to her, Taku's, Kiriyuki's spirit, narrowed his eyes at me.

Her eyes snapped to him, blazing with a kind of anger that was unusual for a person born of a slayer family. It was the anger of a demon.

"I can talk to him however I want. He's the leader of Kirichi, a village for demon slayers. Well, newsflash for you, I'm not a demon slayer, and I'm not a member of this village." Both of them were obviously taken aback by this sudden spat of emotion from her, she had been so serious looking before, and they both considered her members of the village, as well as a demon slayer.

"Just because my mom was born in this town, just because she used to work here, just because _both_ of my parents were demon slayers doesn't mean I want anything to do with it or this village! My home is out there, in the real world. I just want to be normal! I don't want to go around killing people! And if you say that demons aren't people, then you'd better prepare yourself to die." Her words were cold as ice; her aura flamed like a wild fire. The room was silent for several moments, allowing Carrie to regain her composure a little.

"I didn't come here to talk about who I will live with. I came here to talk about what we're going to do about Hiei. I'm going after him, I'm going to exercise Akari from his body. It's the least I can do, what I have to do. I was the one who got him into it, I need to take responsibility for my actions."

Kama folded his fingers together, and if in prayer, and allowed himself to go into deep thought for several minutes. Neither me nor my uncle said anything. I became aware of the soft ticking of a clock, though it must have been in a drawer for I was unable to find it on the walls. Finally, the elder opened his eyes. He allowed them to drift upwards until they made contact with Carrie's own gaze. She held it strongly, fiercely. He nodded then, leaning back in his chair.

"Very well." Was all he said.

"What?!" Kiriyuki stood, nearly sending his chair tumbling over. "You're going to let her go after that demon, that _**murderer-**_"

"Thank you, Kama-san." Carrie said, raising and bowing deeply to him. Kunai had disappeared, and Carrie decided to do the same. She took off at a run, her uncle yelling after her.

"Don't you dare leave! Carrie! **CARRIE!**"

But she was gone.


	12. Chapter 12

(Hiei)

The room was quiet. The only sound to reach the fire demon's ears was the soft _tick tick_ of the clock. The seconds seemed to pass by slowly, like melted water drips from a snow covered branch. It was mid afternoon, a time that is usually swallowed by slowness and a languorous feeling.

His own eyes were heavy with sleep, his body was wrecked with such exhaustion. He was… just… tired. He wished he could drift off to the blissful world of unawareness, of tranquility. To simply feel as though you didn't exist; that is what Hiei wanted.

But, as it was, that was not going to happen anytime soon. He did not want a repeat of what had happened when Yukina and the others had found him. The day that girl had left…

Kurama had told him about what had happened, why he couldn't move and his insides felt like they were being torn apart. It was a parasite.

_"A __**what**__?" Hiei asked, his eyes narrowed dangerously. Kurama sighed and scratched the back of his neck, trying to figure out a way to explain it._

_"It's a kind of 'parasite plant'. It invades the person's body, working its way through the entire system before it begins to feed. During the time it takes for it to fully take hold of the body, which is anywhere between one to three weeks, the person is paralyzed. After that, the person is able to go about their normal business, as if it had never happened. However, it remains within the host's body, feeding off of the life energy. This is a good thing, for it dramatically increases your healing speed and increases your energy. It is a symbiotic relationship. Though there is a… minor set back."_

_At the pause, Hiei's eyes grew even fiercer. Kurama cleared his throat and continued. "There is a certain plant that releases a chemical signal that the parasite immediately picks up on. If only exposed to the chemical for a short time, the host merely becomes immobile for a few hours. But if the person is exposed for longer than that, it causes severe pain, to a point where the person would be willing to do anything, __**anything**__, to stop it. And if exposed for even a fraction of a second too long, it kills the host."_

_Both demons were silent, the clocking ticking away as time moved forward. Hiei's eyes moved to the window, his face set in a grim line._

_"We did it so you wouldn't kill us." Kurama whispered, his face down cast. His ruby hair fell over his emerald eyes, blocking them from view. "You were a monster. Screaming about defiance, about how you would make us all pay. I'm assuming that that was Akari speaking."_

_Hiei did not answer, he did not move, he did not even blink. His crimson eyes remained fixated to the window, watching his sister as she went about her day happily. He had almost caused her harm. He __**had**__ caused her fear. If there was one person the fire demon truly loved, it was Yukina. If he had to die to save her, then it would be nothing; he would do it without hesitation. She was all he had left in the world, and he would not let her suffer. He would simply not allow it._

_"I'm sorry." Kurama said finally. When Hiei made no interest in replying, the kitsune stood, turning towards the door. He walked slowly, heavily, stopping once he reached the door. He glanced back at Hiei's form, lying immobile in the bed, and his eyes once again filled with that sympathetic look that the fire demon so despised. Then, he was gone._

And so he lied there, paralyzed in his bed as the parasite spread its webs throughout his body. It hurt, but nothing more than he could handle. It had hurt so much worse when Akari had…

He pushed the thought from his head. He did not want to think of that woman. He did not want to think about any woman. But he couldn't help it. Why had he been so foolish? Why had he stopped himself from killing Carrie? Why hadn't he let Akari finish that damn demon slayer off!?

_'It was the lycely, my dear.'_ A smooth, calm, seductive voice whispered in his ear. A had slid gently around his neck, slowly tightening, choking him. He tried to move, to kill the person who had a hold of him now, but he could not. A feeling of hopelessness flushed through him, a sudden and deep terror spreading through him. He was going to die. He was going to die and there was nothing that he could fucking do about it. He was going to die and she was going to steal his body and use it to kill his sister and Kurama and Yusuke and-

_'Carrie.'_

_Tick. Tick. Tick._ The clock continued on in its mocking pantomime. His breathing was hard, ragged; sweat trickled down his skin. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back.

He was alone.

No one else was in the room.

He had imagined it.

Time continued forward once more, moving more quickly now. The golden sun was starting to sink down below the horizon; night was spreading her fingers over the land. She was a greedy thing, stealing away all the night with her masking beauty, locking it away until the sun returned in the morning. Hiei watched as the yellow orb turned the sky orange, read, pink, purple, blue-

Then there was darkness.


End file.
